Cooking utensil



Dec. 27. l1938. K. E. PORTER 2,141,822

ACOQKING Uw'fesL FiledJan. s, 1938 Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED .STAT-es `PATENT OFFICE vrCOOKING UTENSIL corporation of Ohio .Application 'January/6, 1938, vSerial No. 183,653

Y5 `Claims.

'Ihe invention relates to improvements in cooking utensils, more particularlyto Vthat-type of cooking utensil in which the cover isadapted to seat .within an off-set peripheral 'flange surrounding the rim of the utensil, andthe present improvement is directed-more especiallytofeatures of the coveriit.

'Ihere are two styles of cover tfnow in common use upon this generaltype of` cooking utensil, commonly knownas the iiat `sealand the vapofseal. In the former a iiat, horizontal-shoulder extends outward around thel rim ofthe-utensil and is surroundediby an upstanding peripheral flange, and the cover is provided-with'a 'depending annular flange of considerably Igreater diameter than the utensiLand yadapted to V-rest upon said shoulder. AThe `flange of the cover being of greater. diametrical dimension than I the Wallof theutensil permits condensation draining from the cover to rest upon said flat=shoulder- In thegso-.called vapo-seal .type of cover fit,'the construction issubstantially the samevas above described `except Vthat the shoulder l surrounding the rimfportion of the utensil isprovided with an annular groove for collecting the fcon'densation.

from vthe depending :ange of :the scover. Since the flangeof thecoveris 'of greatendiametrical dimension than the-wall of :ther utensilthecondensation draining fromthe:coverscollects inlthe groove.

In both of these types of cover t the liquids collecting upon the shoulder will sometime-s bubble out over the rim of the utensil. It has also been found that these types of cover ts frequently cause vacuumatic action when the cooked food in the utensil is cooling, causing the cover to become tight upon the utensil. This happens especially when cooking foods with excessive shrinkage.

Utensils of this type are usually provided with a Valve in the top of the cover for preventing excessive steam pressure within the utensil. This valve cannot be readily cleaned, and unless thoroughly cleaned after each use of the utensil is not, of course, sanitary. The annular groove in the shoulder of the so-called vapo-seal type is not as readily cleaned as a flat surface.

The object of the present improvement is to provide a cover iit for cooking utensils which overcomes the disadvantages of the present type of cover fits, being so constructed that condensation from the cover will not drain upon the shoulder of the utensil upon which the cover flange rests, and being so constructed that any steam which escapes through the cover vent or under the :cover rim and condenses will returnto the inside `of the utensil, thus preventing any 'food 'juices vorwatervcollecting upon the shoulder and bubbling over the top of the utensil.

The above objects'together with others which l-5 will be'apparent from the drawing andfollowing description, or which may be later referred to may be attained by providing adownwardly andin- Wardly inclined yannular shoulder around the .rim portion ofthe utensilrlocated atthe proper angle `10 to prevent the collection of liquids thereon and to cause any liquid depositedthereon to immediately 'draininto the utensil; the depending rim flange ofthe cover being of substantially the same diametrical dimension as .the .Wall of the l=5 utensil sothat condensation fromthercoverfwill drain directly intothe utensil withoutbeing deposited upon the shoulder. g

The invention further contemplates the provision of a steam vent in theform of a small aper- 20 ture located inthe depending iiange-ofrthe cover at a point considerably below the top. of the upstandinglflange surrounding the shoulder onthe utensil whereby steamescaping through saidvent will strike said upstanding'ange,.thus.prevent 25 ing the steam from escaping in a straight horizontal direction and obviating the possibility of steam `and food juices from striking adjoining utensils upon the'rangathe wall adjacentto the range,'andthe hands orsarms of'a person-work- 30 ing in the vicinity of the utensil.

An embodiment of the invention thus brieiiy described is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a 35 cooking utensil provided with the improved cover fit, the cover being shown in closed position thereon;

Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view through the utensil with the cover raised from the same; and 40 Fig. 3, an enlarged detail sectional view of the improved cover fit.

Similar numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the drawing.

The utensil indicated generally at I0 may be 45 formed of sheet metal or other suitable material and the side wall Il thereof is preferably substantially vertical. A downwardly and inwardly inclined annular shoulder I2 surrounds the upper end of the side wall l I and is located at Such an angle that liquid deposited thereon Will immediately drain into the interior of the utensil.

An upstanding rim flange I3 is located at the upper end of the annular flange I2 and, if de- 55 sired, may be finished with any suitable bead such as indicated at I4.

The cover I5 is provided around its periphery with the depending annular flange IS which is of substantially the same diametrical dimension as the side wall II oi the utensil. Thus, any condensation draining down the inside of the depending flange I6 will pass directly into the inside of the utensil and will not be deposited upon the shoulder I 2 upon which the bead I1 at the lower edge of the ange I6 is adapted to rest as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

A vent hole I 8 is provided in the depending iiange I6 of the cover at a point just above the bead I'I so that steam escaping through said vent hole will strike the upstanding ilange I3 and as it condenses the liquid will drain under the bead I'I down the inclined shoulder I2 and be returned to the inside of the utensil.

This construction prevents the escaping steam from coming into contact with other utensils upon the range or the wall adjacent to the range or the hands or arms of a person working at or near the range.

From the above it will be seen that there can be no collection of liquids upon the shoulder I2 since all oi the condensation from the cover will drain directly back intol the utensil withoutl striking the shoulder I2, while any condensation from steam escaping through the vent hole I8 will immediately drain back into the utensil and can not collect upon the shoulder I2.

The construction of the utensil with the sharply inclined shoulder I2 and the upstanding flange or wall I3 tends to cause the steam which does escape through the vent hole or under the rim bead of the cover to condense and return to the inside of the utensil.

The vent hole is more sanitary and more easily cleaned than the usual valve in the top of the cover and this vent provides safety by allowing the escape of internal pressures, particularly when one utensil is stacked on top of another in the oven or on top of the range.

This type of vent hole also prevents any vacuumatic action inside of the utensil when the cooked food is cooling, thus preventing the cover from becoming tight upon the top of the pan by vacuum when the cooked food has cooled.

I claim:

1. A cooking utensil having side walls provided with an annular shoulder at the upper end of the side walls, an upstanding peripheral liange rising from said shoulder, and a cover having a depending rim ange adapted to seat upon said shoulder and provided with a vent hole below the top of said upstanding peripheral ange.

2. A cooking utensil having side walls provided with an annular, downwardly and inwardly inclined shoulder at the upper end o the side walls, said shoulder being inclined at such an angle that liquids will immediately drain therefrom into the utensil, an upstanding peripheral flange rising from said shoulder, and a cover having a depending rim flange of substantially the same diametrical dimensions as said side walls adapted to seat upon said shoulder and provided with a vent hole below the top of said upstanding peripheral iiange.

3. A cooking utensil having side walls provided with an annular, downwardly and inwardly inclined shoulder at the upper end of the side walls, an upstanding peripheral flange rising from said shoulder, and a cover having a depending rim ilange provided at its lower end with an outturned bead adapted to seat upon said shoulder and provided with a vent hole below the top of said upstanding peripheral ange.

4. A cooking utensil having side walls provided with an annular, downwardly and inwardly inclined shoulder at the upper end of the side walls, an upstanding peripheral flange rising from said shoulder, a cover having a depending rim flange adapted to seat upon said shoulder and provided with a vent hole in the cover flange below the top of said upstanding flange.

5. A cooking utensil having side walls provided with an annular, downwardly and inwardly inclined shoulder at the upper end of the side walls, said shoulder being inclined at such an angle that liquid will immediately drain therefrom into the utensil, an upstanding peripheral iiange rising from said shoulder, and a cover having a depending rim flange of substantially the same diametrical dimension as said side walls and provided at its lower end with an out-turned bead adapted to seat upon said shoulder, there being a vent hole in the cover flange just above said bead.

KIRK E. PORTER. 

